NEWSLETTER 05 SEPTEMBER 2012 OLYMPIC.ORG IOC NEWSLETTER Permanent Observer Office to the United Nations UN appeals for Olympic Truce during London 2012 Games UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President of the 66th UN General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, called on all UN Member States to observe the traditional Olympic Truce, from the start of the Games of the XXX Olympiad on 27 July until the close of the XIV Paralympic Games on 9 September in London. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets IOC President Jacques Rogge in London after participating in the Olympic Torch Relay through the centre of the British capital. See p2. In his message, the UN Secretary-General recalled that “today, sports and events Features such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games break down barriers by bringing together people from all over the world and all walks of life. The participants may carry the flags of many nations, but they come together under the shared banner of equality and fair play, understanding and mutual respect.” The UN General Assembly President, Mr Al-Nasser, noted that “the Olympic Movement aspires to contribute to a peaceful future for all humankind through the educational value of PAGE 2 sport. The Games will bring together athletes Torch Relay’s from all parts of the world in the greatest of Moment To Shine international sports events as a means to promote peace, mutual understanding and goodwill among nations and peoples – goals that are also part of the founding values of the United Nations.” Full text of UN Secretary-General’s message PAGE 3 Full text of UN GA President’s Sustainability is a message key legacy for every Olympic Games The UN Olympic Truce Resolution for the 2012 Games was presented by the Chair of the London Olympic Games Organising Committee, Sebastian Coe, on behalf of the UK government and made history by Athletes and officials showed their support for becoming the first-ever UN resolution to be the Truce by signing the Olympic Truce Wall in the Olympic Village co-sponsored by all 193 UN Member States. The resolution invites Member States to observe and promote peace before, during PAGE 4 and after the Games in order to promote Giving is Winning is a perfect example London 2012: peace in general. of how Olympic solidarity materialises an historic step towards and how simple actions can make a gender equality difference to people’s lives. See p5 More about the Olympic Truce PAGE 1 NEWSLETTER 05 SEPTEMBER 2012 OLYMPIC.ORG Editorial The London 2012 Olympic Games chalked up many firsts in the history of arguably The Greatest Show on Earth, not least because for the first time a UN Secretary General donned on a track-suit and ran his mile in the Torch Relay and later joined some of the world’s most prominent public- spirited personalities to carry the Olympic Flag during the Opening Ceremony. Earlier on, the Secretary General had shared the podium with British Foreign Secretary William Hague to espouse the Olympic Truce, the need to make it effective, and calling on leaders of the world to give peace a chance. Both the President of the UN General Assembly, Nassir Abdlulaziz Al- Nasser and the Secretary General issued public appeals for the observance of the Olympic Truce. This coming on the heels of the UN resolution on the Olympic Games which was co-sponsored by all 193 Member States, a first in the history of the institution itself. Massive crowds turned out to cheer the Olympic Torch as it passed by Whether all the energies that were expended in promoting peace in the world in the name of the Olympic Games had any direct effect on any Olympic Torch Relay engages of conflicts that are going on around the world is debatable. One thing is millions across Britain certain, though. The Olympic Games DID play their part in promoting peace and development, sustainability and, More than 13 million people are estimated to have lined the streets to cheer oh yes, gender equality. on the Olympic Flame on its 8,000 mile (12,800 kilometres) journey around the For the first time in the Games’ history, UK and the Republic of Ireland. During its 70-day journey, the Olympic Torch and that goes back more than 3,000 Relay visited over 1,000 communities years, women were represented and celebrated the achievements of Among them was UN Secretary-General in every sport. The three countries more than 8,000 torchbearers. Ban Ki-moon himself leading a coterie of that had never sent females to the representatives of UN agencies, including Olympics did so this time. As a result, The triangular-shaped torch was designed the World Food Programme, the UN refugee the ladies were there, competitive by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby to agency, the UN Environment Programme and and enjoying being part of the greater represent a series of triads: the three Olympic the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The UN world stage of the Olympics. values – respect, excellence and friendship; Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for London organized a happy and the Olympic motto – faster, higher, stronger; Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke, also glorious Games.They raised the bar the Olympic Games hosted by the UK (1908, participated in the Torch Relay. on sustainability. The organizers lived 1948 and 2012); and the vision of the 2012 true to the Games theme – sport, Summer Olympics – sport, education The Torch Relay has been education and culture. All this and and culture. more leaves an incredible legacy absolutely fantastic. The of development, human endeavor, A torchbearer public nomination campaign, enthusiasm and support achievement and a difficult-to-match called “Moment to Shine”, was launched in contribution to the achievement of the May 2011, giving people across the UK the showed by millions of people Millennium Development Goals. chance to be involved in the countdown to the start of the London Games. Torchbearers, up and down this country aged between 12 and 100 years old, ranged has been overwhelming. T. A. Ganda Sithole from sporting and show business celebrities to Deputy Permanent Representative ordinary people judged to have made a special Jeremy Hunt, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Office of the Permanent Observer contribution to their communities. Olympics, Media and Sport for the IOC to the UN PAGE 2 NEWSLETTER 05 SEPTEMBER 2012 OLYMPIC.ORG Olympic Games support sustainability UN Environment Programme helps green Olympic Games UN Environment Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner hailed London 2012 for raising the bar on sustainability for future Games. “London’s clean-up of an old industrial site; the restoration of flows and habitat on the River Lea; the greening of supply chains; the low energy linked with the design and construction of the stadium, including utilising old gas pipes for the facility’s Olympic ring; and the use of temporary structures to reduce emissions are among the actions that can assist in inspiring the organisers of the Rio 2016 Games and beyond,” he said. The eco-friendly temporary basketball venue in London UNEP has a longstanding collaboration with the IOC in the greening of the Olympic Games which goes back to The UN Conference on Major achievements of London 2012 Athens 2004. UNEP has already made include the Olympic Park, the largest new recommendations to the Organising Sustainable Development urban parkland created in Europe for 150 Committee of the Sochi 2014 Winter years, and the construction of the most Games in Russia and has been invited to (Rio+20) took place in sustainable Olympic stadium in history. assist Rio de Janeiro in its preparations In addition, London 2012 will be the first Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the 2016 Summer Games. Olympic Games to measure its carbon from 20-22 June 2012. footprint over the entire project term, and Representatives of the was the first Games to commit to a zero waste-to-landfill target through the strategic IOC joined world leaders, Zero Waste Games Vision. government officials, Marrying sport Rio+20 was also an occasion for the IOC captains of industry and to assess how sport has been a driver for and art many others at the event. change and sustainable development over the past 20 years. The IOC’s new publication, The meeting took place “Sustainability through Sport: Implementing The catalytic role played by sport the Olympic Movement’s Agenda 21”, looks in improving the quality of life and just a few weeks before the at how sustainability considerations have wellbeing of society was perfectly London 2012 Games, a increasingly become an integral part of the demonstrated in the 2012 Sport Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games and Art exhibition held in London’s showpiece for sustainability preparations in particular. It also gives an Guildhall Art Gallery as part of the deemed to have been the overview of stakeholder initiatives and reflects Cultural Olympiad. on partnership models, including with United greenest Games in the Nations agencies. Since 2000, every four years, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are invited history of the Olympics. to take part in the Sport and Art contest Read the full version of organised by the IOC through its Culture “Sustainability through Sport” and Olympic Education Commission. The fourth edition of the contest attracted more than 60 artists who shared their vision of “Sport and the Olympic Values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect” through art works and sculptures, demonstrating the creative and artistic strength that sport can inspire. PAGE 3 NEWSLETTER 05 SEPTEMBER 2012 OLYMPIC.ORG Sports kits programme for young refugees More than 150,000 young people living in camps for refugees and internally displaced people will get access to sport through a two-year programme that will see the distribution of sport kits in 20 countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas.